Council rates bid for wind farm turbines on private property

Greens leader Mark Parnell said a South Australian parliamentary committee on wind farms would consider council proposals to charge rates for wind turbines on private property.

The issue was raised by local government at committee hearings in the mid-north this week.

Mr Parnell is on the committee and says farmers pay rates on infrastructure such as sheds, but multi-million-dollar wind farms are currently exempt as they are considered to be plant and equipment.

"A big part of the wind farm debate has been how we share the benefits of renewable energy, so one of the things we have to look at is how do we make sure the returns from wind farms are spread through the community?" he said.

"Rates is one way of doing it, community development funds is another way of doing it.